CHAPEL HILL -- There is some good news coming for those hearty souls who haul themselves from bed before dawn to get in some laps at the Chapel Hill Community Center's pool.

The six swim lanes they share there are about to swell to 16 with Saturday's opening of the new Homestead Aquatic Center. The extra lanes will bring some relief for Orange County residents who get their aerobic fix at the community center's recreation pool.

"This community has a very dedicated and committed lap swimming group," said Robb English, the town's aquatics supervisor. "People who will show up at 5:30 a.m. or earlier to get their morning swim in."

The new center, at Homestead Park at 300 Northern Park Drive just off Homestead Road, will be the town's third public swimming pool and its second indoor facility. With its opening, the town expects to both expand its programs and shift current offerings from the jam-packed community center, freeing space there for folks who just want to get in a lap-swim workout.

The new center has two pools -- the larger for lap swim and competition, the smaller for swim lessons. There are also locker rooms, bleachers, a reception area, public art and office space.

The $6.5 million project, sketched out initially in the town's 2002 Parks and Recreation Master Plan, responds to a need, English said. The community center serves many masters -- recreational swimmers, children learning to swim, other folks taking specialty classes, and high school athletes training for meets with one of the three local high schools.

Much of that activity -- such as youth swim lessons, kayak and triathlon training -- will move to the new facility, and English said he expects to add programs as well.

"We've been limited in what we can offer just due to the number of hours in the day," he said.

In addition, the swim teams at Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill high schools will move to the new aquatics center to train. Carrboro High School's team will remain at the community center.

Greg Cain, who retired last year as coach of the Chapel Hill High swim team, said in an e-mail interview that the new facility will help ease crowding at the community center pool.

"The Town of Chapel Hill, despite its swimming interest, has long been underserved in terms of year-round competitive pools," Cain wrote. "There are too many high school and club teams competing for the few minutes of available lane space in which to train."

English said his biggest expense has been adding staff. The new facility needs about a dozen new staffers, three full-time lifeguards and several part-time lifeguards and swim instructors.

The aquatics center lobby includes a $55,000 public art project, a glass-and-light mosaic by Ray King.